interesting problem

#1 2nd December 2010, 8:49 PM

So I have an interesting problem in my game. If im ahead or down it doesnt matter. The moment I start to think, intentionally or unintentionally, that I can do this, I can win, or Im going to win, is the moment when I start to lose my entire stack. Does this happen to anyone else? I know what I think doesnt really effect the game at all but I have a theory. I believe that when I think this I get subconsciously cocky and start to play sub-par. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?"

#2 2nd December 2010, 9:51 PM

This doesn't happen to me in the poker room, but when I played tennis in high school, I would always think, hey i'm winning I can beat this guy and proceed to completely choke and lose the match....the difference being tennis is physical, but I can see how this can happen to you. For poker in this position, I usually think that i'm in a solid position, but not an overwhelming favorite. Even if i'm in first place out of 1,000 people, I never feel overly confident and that seems to help me not feeling too cocky

#3 2nd December 2010, 9:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunder1276

So I have an interesting problem in my game. If im ahead or down it doesnt matter. The moment I start to think, intentionally or unintentionally, that I can do this, I can win, or Im going to win, is the moment when I start to lose my entire stack. Does this happen to anyone else? I know what I think doesnt really effect the game at all but I have a theory. I believe that when I think this I get subconsciously cocky and start to play sub-par. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?"

the way you think changes everything. how could it not effect the game at all? if you thinking changes, and you are part of the game than the game changes not only what you do but how others react to what you are doing, so it changes everything.

#4 2nd December 2010, 9:58 PM

Sometimes this happens to me if I try to concentrate to hard. Especially if I get to big of a chip lead and then try to start bullying I start making stupid mistakes. This is added on if I start to drink and have fun. But I usually always go into every tourney thinking I am the best and will always win. Having self confidence is a needed tool in the game of poker.

#5 3rd December 2010, 7:00 PM

if your playing sub par hands and losing your stack then its a leak you should fix.

#6 4th December 2010, 1:00 AM

It hasn't happened to me during the middle of a game, but I've gone on heaters before, and started to let myself believe that I had poker all figured out.

Of course this is usually followed by a downswing, which brings me back to reality.

#7 4th December 2010, 3:36 AM

#8 4th December 2010, 3:46 AM

Think that you are a winner when you have pocket AA. It is more reasonable. ^^

#9 16th December 2010, 5:43 PM

As you're playing in a tournament, changing your mind to "Hey, I can win this thing" is incredibly detrimental to your game because you are imbalancing yourself. You need to assess hand after hand, bet after bet, move after move and proceed stoically. You are fooling yourself and it's a natural problem. Don't worry, I had it when I started playing too.

For instance, once I started to think, "Hey, I'm going to lose this thing," what do I need to do to last longer? Well I started playing a tight aggressive game and work on hand after hand. By focusing on the little things, I last longer. By focusing on the big picture and try to dominate, you will lose every time.

I'm not saying don't believe in yourself, I'm saying believe in your ability to control your mind and not act emotionally. You can achieve this by learning patience. I would seek a self help book on how to do that because it is different for everyone. Some may disagree on this but another way to become a good poker player is to start reading dense philosophy. It will challenge your way of thinking and allow you to learn to think about your mind. In thinking about your mind, you will begin the early stages of learning to control it.

#10 16th December 2010, 6:26 PM

nope, it does not work that way, for me. I start thinking of the card i don't want to see, boom the card lands.

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